Author: SportEarly

We’re delighted to welcome football finance expert Dr Daniel Plumley as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Everton… Dan Plumley has insisted that any investors will want full control of Everton so they can start with a clean break at Goodison Park after their troubles. The finance expert admitted that will be a sticking point right now as Farhad Moshiri does not want to give away a controlling stake, but a minority position instead. It has been reported by the Daily Mail that several “serious bids” were on the table for a takeover, but…

Everton have a number of injury doubts ahead of their Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, according to injury expert Ben Dinnery. Dinnery has rated Seamus Coleman and Nathan Patterson’s chances of playing at “50 per cent” ahead of the fixture at Goodison Park on Monday (3 April) (Premier injuries). Dominic Calvert-Lewin is also a doubt, with the injury-prone striker still recovering from a thigh problem. The one confirmed absentee is Andros Townsend, with the 31-year-old not expected back until the of the season. Chance There’s a golden chance for Everton to take advantage of Tottenham’s current demise. Antonio Conte has…

Fulham have impressed in the Premier League this season under Marco Silva. The Whites were only promoted from the Championship last year and are currently 9th in the table. They return to action after the international break away at Bournemouth. In the meantime, here is a look at how they could line up next term based on recent transfer rumours and speculation… RB: Kenny Tete: The Dutchman currently has competition for his place from January addition Cedric. Former Chelsea man Ola Aina has been linked with a summer switch to Craven Cottage (TuttoMercato). CB: Issa Diop: The ex-West Ham man has…

Mikel Merino is still on Aston Villa’s agenda after they failed to sign the Real Sociedad player in January, according to Mundo Deportivo. The Villans were named as the midfielder’s suitor after Unai Emery took charge at Villa Park. Back in January, Mundo Deportivo stated Aston Villa came with ‘all their weapons’ for the 26-year-old but were unable to take him away from La Real in the winter market The former Newcastle United man’s contract expires in 2025 and the San Sebastian club are working to renew his deal. Today’s Mundo states Merino’s camp and Sociedad are in advanced negotiations to extend his deal for…

Max Wober has taken to Instagram after the Leeds United defender picked up an injury while on international duty with Austria, suffering an issue to his left thigh – but Wober has eased concern, describing the issue as “small”. Wober, 25, started for Austria on Friday night at left-back as he helped Ralf Rangnick’s side get off to a winning start in Euro 2024 qualifying. A comfortable 4-1 victory over Azerbaijan. But Wober was taken off on 34 minutes. The versatile defender was pictured clutching his left thigh and was able to walk off the pitch. Rangnick spoke after the game, stating that…

Bayern Munich recently parted ways with manager Julian Nagelsmann and appointed Thomas Tuchel as his replacement. The 35-year-old German manager has been linked with a move to the Premier League over the last few days and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly keen on appointing him as the replacement for Antonio Conte. According to reports in Germany via Fichajes, there is a clause in Nagelsmann’s Bayern Munich contract that could complicate his appointment at the north London club. Apparently, he has an agreement with Bayern Munich that his new club will have to pay a significant amount of money to the German club…

We thought this would be a good time to ask a few questions once again of Newcastle United fans, some of those who are regular / irregular contributors to The Mag. We are set to head out of this international break and the final eight weeks of the 2022/23 Premier League season lie ahead, 12 matches that will decide our fate. Next up answering some questions is Simon Ritter. The three Newcastle United players, in order of preference, you would most like to see stay fit and available for all the remaining 12 matches? Alexander Isak could be the biggest…

Not for the first time this year, Newcastle have been linked with a summer move for Southampton star James Ward-Prowse. An ‘exclusive’ from Football Insider claims Newcastle have sent scouts to watch the free-kick specialist and could swoop in for the midfielder if the Saints suffer relegation from the Premier League. It’s thought he could leave for around £40m, with Ward-Prowse set to push for a move if the South Coast side can’t beat the drop. Liverpool and Man Utd have also been linked with the 28-year-old, who has nine goals and three assists in all competitions this season; an impressive tally…

Fulham star Aleksandar Mitrovic has reportedly dented his chances of a move to Manchester United after his crazy red card at Old Trafford. Last weekend, with Fulham leading 1-0 courtesy of Mitrovic himself, things began to unravel in the 72nd minute. After Willian was adjudged to have handled Jadon Sancho’s goal-bound shot, the Brazilian saw red along with Fulham boss Marco Silva, who was sent off for mouthing off at the referee. To make matters worse for the London club, the red mist descended on Mitrovic as he furiously shoved the referee, which led to his dismissal. Mitrovic’s red card…

Antonio Conte is facing a crunch 24 hours with developments over his immediate future at Tottenham entering a crucial stage with the head coach scheduled to return to work on Tuesday. Conte has spent the international break back in his native Italy amid expectation that he would lose his job following the manager’s now infamous verbal attack on his players after their 3-3 draw at Southampton. However, Conte remains as Spurs’ head coach as talks over his expected exit continue. But developments over his future are set to come to a head with Conte due to return back to the club’s Enfield HQ on…

Wilfried Gnonto could play in Serie A next season as he attracts the attention of top clubs in the Italian top flight and Juventus is one of them. The black and whites have followed him for some time now as he makes an impression in the Premier League for Leeds. Gnonto is one of Italy’s finest players abroad and continues to show he can deliver in a tough competition like the Premier League. The Whites signed him for less than 5m euros and Juve is now looking to add him to their squad, with a report on Football Italia claiming the black…

Speaking to talkSPORT, former Tottenham Hotspur manager turned pundit Tim Sherwood insisted Antonio Conte should be sacked, and said he would be happy to help Ryan Mason in the interim. Conte’s time at Tottenham may well be coming to an end, after the Italian shocked the media with an explosive press conference last weekend (Football.London). As a result, a report from The Telegraph suggested Conte will lose his job by the end of this week. It is thought Mason would step in as caretaker manager until the end of the season in the event of Conte’s departure. Mason previously took charge of the…

There is a feeling at some clubs that Everton may be victims of a “politically motivated” persecution after the Premier League’s decision to charge them with breaching spending rules at this time, according to the Daily Mail. The Toffees were referred to an independent commission over an alleged breach of financial fair play rules, according to The Athletic [24 March] after a ten-month investigation which began when Burnley and Leeds wrote to the Premier League in May 2022. [The Guardian, 24 March]. But a report from the Daily Mail [25 March] revealed that many clubs are questioning the Premier League over their decision to charge Everton just nine…

Sources: Newcastle United eye move for red-hot star with same agent as Nick Pope Newcastle United are eyeing up a move for Southampton star James Ward-Prowse, sources have told Football Insider. Ward-Prowse is set to quit the Saints in the summer if they fail to stay in the Premier League. Newcastle, along with Liverpool and Man United have sent scouts to watch the 28-year-old ahead of a potential move at the end of the season. Sources told this site that it will take a lot of money for the Saints to sell but if they get relegated clubs could nab the…

Andreas Pereira has told the Brazilian press that he is playing the best football of his career at Fulham. The attacking midfielder, who moved to Craven Cottage last July from Manchester United for £10m after spending a season on loan at Flamengo, has scored three goals and added six assists in 32 games for Marco Silva’s side, who have surprised the pundits to sit ninth in the Premier League and reached the FA Cup quarter finals. In a wide-ranging interview with Uol, the 27 year-old revealed he felt he has become a more complete footballer since making the move to London. “I’m…

West Ham United are embroiled in a “secret legal battle” with the owners of the London Stadium, according to the Daily Mail. The Mail claim (26 March) the London Legacy Development Corporation have spent £7million of taxpayers’ money on lawyers during their tussle with the club. It’s understood a new and secret spat between the LLDC and the club will only add to that figure. It’s believed the fresh disagreement evolves around how much money LLDC are due from an investment in the club by Czech businessman Daniel Kretinsky in November 2021. It’s also been suggested that taxpayers will end up paying over…

West Ham United managerial target Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly keen to secure a dramatic return to Tottenham Hotspur. That’s according to a report from The Sun who claim that Mauricio Pochettino likes the idea of a Tottenham return, in spite of being linked to the West Ham job. It is suggested that current Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte is on the verge of being sacked, and the 51-year-old Argentine is being lined up as his replacement. Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images Hammers boss David Moyes is under real pressure at the London Stadium, and the appointment of a new manager at the end of the season is an absolute must tin my opinion, if…

BirminghamLive brings you the latest Aston Villa news as Unai Emery prepares for important summer transfer window Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is building a squad of players capable of consistently challenging for European football and he will target the summer window as a big opportunity to continue doing just that. In January, Villa only recruited two players in Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran, while plenty left on loan or on permanent deals. Meanwhile, Jan Bednarek and Ludwig Augutsinsson saw their loan moves end early as Emery trimmed his squad right down. Aston Villa manager Unai Emery This summer, Emery will continue to fine-tune his squad,…

Leeds United are one of the many Premier League outfits currently embroiled in a thronged relegation battle, and every match must be considered a must-win if the drop zone remains firmly below the feet of Javi Gracia’s men. A recent purple patch has propelled the Whites into 14th place, though after 27 matches, the congested table allows the outfit just two points of safety, with endangered duo West Ham United and Bournemouth both going above United with just one win. When Jesse Marsch was sacked two months ago, brooding clouds lurked over Elland Road. Leeds were unruly and seeped in pessimism, and while the danger remains, a more cohesive…

Fulham are tipped to be one of a number clubs considering making an offer for Polish international defender Pawel Dawidowicz who is set to leave Hellas Verona at the end of the season, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio. The Cottagers’ interest in the 27 year-old centre half, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, isn’t exactly a secret as the former Lechia Gdansk and Benfica stopper featured on Fulham’s shortlist when Marco Silva was seeking defensive reinforcements back in the summer. Dawidowicz, who has made more than a hundred appearances in three years at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi,…